Thursday, March 08, 2007

I have a tough life you know. After I have done my days share and fed the kid, read to her and am almost dozing off to sleep, she nudges me.“Hmmmmmm”, I say“Do you know what I want to be when I grow up?” the little one chirps.I have no clue and this is not a good time to discuss career options I think, but who am I to decide anything

“I want to be a Painter, a Doctor, the One with the Hammer and also the Cleaning lady” she says very enthusiastically

Interesting combo I think and why not, this is a free country let her be whatever she wants to

“That’s nice”, I say and shut my eyes tighter only to be nudged again

“What do you want to be when You grow up?” she questions

I am being given a second chance here and what I really want to be is a billionaire lazing in a private island and enjoying good food and blogging about my high-falutin life maybe.But that’s not what you tell a kid if you are the mother

“Painter”, I say deciding on a safer option“But I am already going to be a Painter”, she argues“Then You decide” I say, hoping to resolve the problem quickly

“You can be the Base Ball Player”, she suggestsNot my cup of tea that, so I say “But I don’t know to play Base Ball”

“You just have to wear a white cap and hit a ball with a bat, it’s easy, you can do it if you try” she says very knowledgeably

So I dream of how famous I am going to be hitting that ball and doze off to sleep thinking of Fame, Fortune and Fulkopi. Fulkopi in Bengali, Cauliflower in English and Gobi in Hindi that's G for Nupur’s “A – Z of Indian Vegetables” this week. Now don’t ask me why Fame & Fortune led me to dream of Fulkopi, ask Freud.

Chaal Kopi Or Cauliflower cooked in spices with a smattering of Rice is a very tasty and different dish. The rice is just that little bit and it’s the Cauliflower that dominates the taste. This recipe is from my Bengali Recipe Book and my Ma never made this. The dish is dry and goes well with rice or Chapati.

Cauliflower ~ 1 cut into large sized florets. The large is the key here, do not chop into small fine pieces else they will turn mushy, see the pic.Potato ~ 1 large cut into large longitudinal piecesTomato ~ 1 medium chopped into small pieces, you can also used canned whole tomatoesGreen Chillies ~ 3 chopped or slitGreen Peas ~ 1/3 cup

Cut the cauliflower in florets as shown in picChop potatoes and dunk in water, chop tomatoes & green chillies real small. use canned tomatoes if you want to skip the effortHeat Oil in Kadhai/Frying PanSauté the cauliflower florets with a little turmeric till they take on a light golden hue. Remove and keep asideSauté the potatoes till they too turn a light golden and remove and keep asideSauté the rice and the peanuts and when you get that nice smell, remove and keep asideTo the hot oil add the phoron i.e. the Bay Leaves, Cardamom, Cinnamon Sticks (coarsely pound the cardamom & cinnamon sticks) and the whole jeeraWhen they start sputtering add the tomatoes & green chillies and sauté till the tomatoes are well done and are mushyAdd the Cumin Powder and the Ginger paste and fry the masala till you see the oil separating from the masalaAdd the peas and potatoes and mix well. Next, add the cauliflower florets and mix well so that the masala coats all the veggiesNow add the rice and the peanuts and mixAdd salt and ½ tsp of sugar and the raisinsAdd water. I added about 1 and ½ cup to start with. Basically the veggies etc. should be partly immersed in the water, as they along with the rice need to be cooked. But since you do not want the cauliflower to overcook, be careful with the water and start with less to be cautiousCook covered on medium heat and check in between, if needed add a little more waterCheck to see that rice, and the veggies are cooked. If done add ½ tsp of Ghee. The recipe called for 1 tsp but I added only ½ tspThe end result should be dry but do not overcook to dry off the water, so I again reiterate add water consciouslySprinkle a little Garam Masala Powder if the cauliflower is not the freshest one and has a slightly pungent smell

Note for the Busy Mom: If you are cooking on a busy weekday, cut all the vegetables in this recipe before hand as in the previous day when you have no cooking chores. Remember to soak chopped potatoes in water else they develop a ugly black spot

Trivia:This dish has a prominent role in the movie Bend It Like Beckham—the film's DVD contains a featurette titled How to cook Aloo gobi., with the film's director making the dish. This led to the pickup line 'Why cook aloo gobi, when you can Bend It Like Beckham".

Looks delicious!Kobi or Gobi!!Your write up was hilarious.For the life of me,I don't understand why people think having loads of money makes them happy!!!Doing what you LOVE is the only way to happiness.Being a painter is great as long as your hubby is willing to feed ya!;D

rice and cauliflower....now that's interesting, I have always liked the use of ginger with cauliflower,they just go so well together. Loved the writeup of the dialog between mum and daughter even more!

i just read your comment....I know there was a realllllly good Gujarati restaurant called "jhupdi" in NJ, they served authentic Gujju food..and you sit on the floor...atleast they used to do do..not sure now. Haven't been there in a while.I was in NJ in September for a coupleof days,but only had a chance to go to the Hakka Noodle place,on Okat tree road and "Shabri" at Royal Albert Palace.

Right now I am imagining the probability of a newspaper title, " Bong Mom makes it to the Baseball Selection " :)))) I am always excited to read ur write-up :) Dish looks very tempting, adding rice to the cauliflower was something new.

Loved your write-up. Baseball-tazeball chaado you should seriously consider a having a column in some newspaper!Chaal Kopi India-te 2-3 baar kheyechi, but have never had it at home. Shall surely try it sometime.

Hey SandeepaWonderful write-up, So how is the selection going one for leauge matches;). Chaal Kopi is really interesting and looks delcious. Everything is there in the fridge and pantry and hubby is there to experiment:D.

Hi sandeepa oops... sorry a becoming great base ball player....hee heee..Ur kid is looking very enthusiastic..isn't it?any way all the best to u..:-Dchall kopi..i have nevr heard of this dsih.looking interesting!!

Hi Sandeepa, out of the mouths of babes, hmm? Your daughter is wise beyond her years :)

Chaal kopi sounds delicious -- raisins and nuts too? Yum! I often toss a little rice in with dal to make a one pot meal (otherwise I tend to eat too much rice!). I will definitely have to try this. Thanks! :)

Nice conversation between mum and daughter!I love hearing about kids' dreams.Have to agree with Linda about your daughter being wise beyond her years.I hope she attains all her dreams.you are a great mom,sandeepa.

Never heard of cooking cauliflower and rice together as a side dish.My mom makes gobi bhath but the rice amount is more,so it is more like gobhi pulao.will have to try this dish.Hugs to your ambitious little one:)

What a nice dish that makes! I can't imagine a side dish with rice in it but am sure it adds a nice texture and flavor to it, esp with the peanuts.Kids are so much fun, aren't they? I loved reading about your little one's ambitions! Not too varied at all! :) Give her my hugs!Hey, thanks for inquiring about me, Sandeepa! Life has been a little hectic and is about to get worse! My in-laws left today, M started with daycare last week and office has suddenly become a crazy workplace with a huge project coming up and we being short staffed in my team. I have been check all my favorite blogs though I haven't been leaving comments. I get a few minutes here & there and try to up-to-date with all my blogger buddies in that time. I've been to Penang in Edison and liked the food there but it is always crowded and we had to wait each time. Looks like the W Windsor one is a better bet. Talking of bets, I hope your AC trip went very well casino-wise! Love your sense of humor, S! :)Will be stopping by again soon but you may not come to know that till my next comment (it looks like a post, sorry!)!

Hey Sandeepa, All the best for your new career. I loved reading the dialog between you and your little one. When I once asked my 5 year old what he would like to be when he grows up (And that was when he was 3 yrs old)he gave me a puzzled look and said "When I grow up I'll still be Devashish, won't I?" Innocence is so touching, isn't it?

Hilarious post, yeah that's what I want to be when I grow up too... (not the baseball player, the billionare one):D. Yuur daughter is such a clever little girl huh? Cutie pie does have everything figured out.. Great recipe for aloo gobi, and a nice collection of recipes you have.

Sandeepa, believe me the same conversation occurs with my 4 yr old son too. Infact, he wants to be a "repairer, policeman, super hero, batman and a doctor" -:)[well, the list keep changing] and when he asks me what I would want to be when I grow up, my answer always is "I just want to be your mamma". But he never accepts that answer each time he asks me.:)

Chaal Kopi is an interesting recipe with rice. I love cauliflower esp when cooked in the right way. I'd like to try this sometime. Bookmarked!

Hey, read that quip - why cook aloo gobi, when you can bend it like Beckham...Is the recipe really featuring in this movie and why? I have seen the movie but missed this. The cauliflower florets look amazing. An interesting and well detailed recipe!

The trivia is not directly from the movie "Bend It Like Beckham" but from WIKI:

This dish has a prominent role in the movie Bend It Like Beckham—the film's DVD contains a featurette titled How to cook Aloo gobi., with the film's director making the dish. This led to the pickup line 'Why cook aloo gobi, when you can Bend It Like Beckham".http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aloo_gobi

Hello Sandeepa,The write-ups are great and so are the recipes!!I really like the heart-to-heart experiences that you make a point to put in before each recipe.Makes us feel so bonded to you somehow.I tried out this recipe of yours and it was an instant hit with my family!I make it a point to cook this on very special occasions as well.Thank you so much for the delectable recipes and the enjoyable read!Kudos!:)

Hi, liked your recipe immensely...I used to have a cook-book ..I forgot the name of the book, but the author was Shotorupa, the book had this recipe. Lost the book in one of my numerous shifting episodes, never made the dish since. Thanks for reminding the recipe, sure going to make it tomorrow...it's a holiday tomorrow, on account of Gandhi Jayanti here in India. And oh...though I loved you recipe immensely, I loved your account of the conversation with your daughter more ! You have a great flair for writing, and I'm sure you must be doing very well, if thats your profession ! Do let me know if you are (or already have) publishing any book....I'd love to read more from you ...

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Predominantly a Bong, who loves being a Mom and loves to cook among other things for the li'l one and the big ones.She loves to write too and you will find her food spiced up with stories. Mainly a collection of Bengali Recipes with other kinds thrown in, in good measure. A Snapshot of Bengali Cuisine